Chef Luke Palladino
“We need to create awareness around better eating habits of children, and it starts at home. My basic rule is to avoid any food “engineered” by man. These foods are by no means pure and true to their natural and organic form.” Luke Palladino is Chef and Restaurant Owner in Atlantic City, NJ. He went to the Culinary Institute of America, and spent four years living and cooking in Italy. Palladino was executive chef and partner at Venice's internationally celebrated Ristorante al Covo. He studied the culture and cuisine of Italy's varied regions, including Rome, Piemonte, Puglia, Friuli, Sicily and Tuscany. Chef Palladino has worked with some of our country's most respected culinary talent, including Paul Bertolli, Jeremiah Towers, Emeril Lagasse and Todd English. www.lukepalladino.com
Quotation… “Health is like money, we never have a true idea of its value until we lose it.” ~Josh Billing
Tomato Times by Chef Chris Daly
When people say tomatoes it reminds me of when I worked in the Michelin starred kitchens of Philippe Contacini in Paris. Tomatoes with Mozzarella were his favorite and when he would come to dinner to my home in New York City, usually with a few other Michelin starred chefs in tow, I knew how to hit that Achilles heel.
Heirloom Tomatoes from Upstate Farms in Columbia County or Abundant Life Farms in Walker Valley and the best handmade mozzarella I could find here in the city, fresh ground pepper, some sea salt and Mission Olive Oil from California. What a “food memory�, some great dinners cooked with ease and friendship and enjoyed by some of the greatest cooks I have ever known. The quality of those tomatoes was all based on the season and it was a given among any chef that you would never serve any guests in your restaurant let alone your home the salmon pink colored tomatoes of January that tasted like nothing with a texture best described as mealy and mushy.
For all tomato lovers one of the biggest “payoffs” for being patient and waiting for “ real “heirloom tomatoes to come is using them in the simplest form that turns out the most sublime results you can imagine, simple food made with the best grown seasonal products. While we wait for heirlooms though, I do have to add that the hot house tomatoes from New Jersey in late spring, early summer are pretty good to say the least. Many times, with careful cooking with the seasonal approach, restraint is the answer and you really don’t need to do too much to those tomatoes or any whole food product for that matter.
I always remember Bill Grimes of The New York Times calling me and asking how my cooking at Bellew in mid- town Manhattan could be so good. My simple answer was that it had taken me close to 18 years to learn how to do nothing to food. So, In the middle of a gray day in a week that is coming in like a Lion with weather that has been a little erratic to say the least, I am drawing some brief rays of sunshine tinged with hopes of spring from two farmer friends Jan and Linda when they talk planting new crops of tomatoes. Jan from Upstate Farms and Linda from Abundant Life Farms grow heirloom tomatoes and the past week they have been sorting seeds to plant.
Linda who grows Bio-Dynamic mentioned that there was some good news in spite of the fact that our weather has now entered into a realm that is best described as crazy. The brown louse or stink bugs that made their way from Virginia last year because of (you guessed it) the erratic weather, won’t be a problem this year. The extreme cold here killed them off. California is in the middle of some pretty extreme weather right now and one of the best hopes for people across the United States this year who is going to be to focus on buying local from farmers like Jan and Linda. As a chef who has lots of patience developed over the course of several years, my question is when is the consumer going to “get political”, and vote with their wallets and
stand by the renaissance of local growers and Community Supported Agricultural Concerns? Or CSA’s as they are known. There is a real secret weapon we can all yield and that is to support the re- creation of small family type and “artisanal” farms. When are we going to start saying no to factory farming that is a huge part of the destruction of our environment? Hopefully before all real food is just a “food memory “.
Chef Christopher Daly
Technology might be the problem! Some things to think about! ‌By Bob Bickell
Television and video games use correlates with increased obesity (Tremblay 2005). Children who are allowed a device in their bedrooms have 30% increased incidence of obesity (Feng 2011). One in four Canadian, and one in three U.S. children are obese (Tremblay 2011). 30% of children with obesity will develop diabetes, and obese individuals are at higher risk for early stroke and heart attack, gravely shortening life expectancy (Center for Disease Control and Prevention 2010). Largely due to obesity, 21st century children may be the first generation many of whom will not outlive their parents (Professor Andrew Prentice, BBC News 2002).
Julie Upton & KALE …
Kale comes from the brassica family, which includes arugula, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and watercress, among others. According to the Linus Pauling Institute, brassica veggies contain sulfurcontaining compounds that are known to provide anti-cancer properties. These bio actives are also responsible for the strong, (read: bitter) odor and flavor of brassica vegetables. Like all deeply colored greens, kale contains phytonutrients (including polyphenols) that are known to provide health benefits. Kale is more nutrient-packed than spinach, but due to its strong flavor, many people have to add a lot of high-calorie extras to eat it. Spinach is milder and can be enjoyed without as much "doctoring" as kale. Personally, I prefer arugula or spinach over kale for raw salads. I do use kale in wilted greens salads and in many egg dishes.
However, the problem with cooking kale (or any other leafy green) is that it loses much of its beneficial antioxidant capacity. In fact, one study found that kale lost 38 percent of its total antioxidant capacity when cooked. The Bottom line‌ Eating more veggies is what's important for your health. Period. If you like the taste of kale, then by all means, eat it. If you don't, simply eat other veggies you do like, and try to enjoy produce from a wide variety of colors every day to get the most health benefits. Julie is a nutrition spokesperson, writer, author, sister, daughter, registered dietitian, athlete, muscle confusion advocate and pro sports fanatic.
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M R I E INDS B H T L E Y FU HEIR TUMM T G N I D IES E E F
G d nutrition is fundamental. Organic Valley Stringles® and milk are full of pasture-raised dairy goodness from our family farms. Give them all the good stuff they need — and none of the bad stuff they don’t — to be full and energized, readied to learn all the lessons of the day.
Organic Valley supports Joe Gurrera and Citarella in their effort to support autism research.
Our Good Friend Joel Harper, Dr. Oz’s personal trainer says: Exercise is Hip for Kids!
Don’t be pushed by your problems Be Led by your Dreams!
Our Artist...Mr. Henry A.J.Ramos
Art is Hip for Kids!
Mr. Ramos www.henryramos.com
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For over fourteen years Hip4Kids has been delivering Healthy Cooking Demos, Health Fairs and Educational Programming to children across the country in an effort to combat Childhood Obesity and Type II Diabetes. With our separate after-school formats and free online curriculum, we have delivered educational services to a more than 200,000 children, parents and teachers.
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Pecans
The plant sterols in pecans help battle heart disease by lowering blood cholesterol levels and according to research performed at New Mexico State University, a serving of pecans daily can significantly lower LDL cholesterol levels in the blood, helping to clear the arteries. The nutrients in pecans help guard against infections, and the vitamin E protects against cancer.
Cashews
Cashews are a wonderful source of fiber and protein. They are rich in mono-unsaturated fats that might be conducive to heart protection. In addition to their healthful monounsaturated fats, cashews are a good source of copper, magnesium, zinc and biotin.
Brazil Nuts
Brazil nuts are high in calories, but they contain good quantities of vitamins, antioxidants and minerals. The nuts are an especially excellent source of monounsaturated fats that helps to lower LDL or "bad cholesterol" and increases HDL or "good cholesterol" in the blood. They are gluten free and also a very good source of vitamin-E and thiamin.
SPRING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Photo by Doug Cox
Stay Healthy! It’s almost SPRING!
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